The 2019 ReadDavidson selection is Varina by Charles Frazier. 

ReadDavidson, an annual town-wide reading initiative that started in 2007, is a partnership between the Town of Davidson, the Davidson Public Library, Main Street Books, and several local avid readers. The ReadDavidson committee encourages people to read a selected book and attend fun and educational book-related events that make the book come to life.  This year’s events are scheduled for April in conjunction with the town’s annual “April is for Arts” initiative.  All members of the community are invited to read Varina and attend these free-of-charge events.

Book Synopsis:

In his powerful fourth novel, Charles Frazier returns to the time and place of Cold Mountain, vividly bringing to life the chaos and devastation of the Civil War.

With her marriage prospects limited, teenage Varina Howell agrees to wed the much-older widower Jefferson Davis, with whom she expects a life of security as a Mississippi landowner. He instead pursues a career in politics and is eventually appointed president of the Confederacy, placing Varina at the white-hot center of one of the darkest moments in American history—culpable regardless of her intentions.

The Confederacy falling, her marriage in tatters, and the country divided, Varina and her children escape Richmond and travel south on their own, now fugitives with “bounties on their heads, an entire nation in pursuit.”

Intimate in its detailed observations of one woman’s tragic life and epic in its scope and power, Varina is a novel of an American war and its aftermath. Ultimately, the book is a portrait of a woman who comes to realize that complicity carries consequences. 

Programs:

Book discussion- Wednesday, April 17 at 12:00 p.m. at the Davidson Public Library

Book Discussion- Wednesday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m. at the Davidson Public Library

A visit by author Charles Frazier, hosted by D.G. Martin- Sunday, April 28 at 4:00 p.m. in the Lilly Family Gallery.

“The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is dedicated to building stronger communities through a variety of programs, including the Davidson branch’s proud partnership with the ReadDavidson initiative,” said Davidson Library Branch Leader Marie Harris. “We look forward to joining the community of readers this April for discussions of Varina by Charles Frazier.”

The ReadDavidson initiative would not be possible without the support of the following sponsors:

• Main Street Books
• The Davidson Branch of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
• DavidsonLearns
• The Town of Davidson

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Main Street Books
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
• Davidson Public Library
• PostNet
• DavidsonLearns

History

ReadDavidson was first launched in 2007 and is a partnership between the Town of Davidson, the Davidson Public Library, Main Street Books, and several local avid readers.

Past ReadDavidson selections

2007: The Bridge by Doug Marlette
2008: One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash
2009: The Color of Water by James McBride
2010: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
2011: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2012: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
2013: A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
2014: One Second After by William Forstchen
2015: Guests on Earth by Lee Smith
2016: Wherever There is Light by Peter Golden
2017: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
2018: News of the World by Paulette Jiles
2019: Varina by Charles Frazier